Steak may seem fairy simple to make, but it can be frustrating if it comes out of a frying pan tough, chewy or even burned, and this usually happens if you use the wrong cooking fat. Jon Gilson, an expert from Whole Life Challenge has shared he does not use olive oil or even butter to cook steak as what you really need is avocado oil.
He said: “Avocado oil has a smoke point of 520 degrees (270C), and as such, is the only oil high in omega-3s that will stand up to the searing in this recipe.” It is traditional to cook steak with butter or olive oil, but their lower smoke points can cause them to break down at high heat, affecting texture and flavour.
You need a cooking fat with a high smoke point like avocado oil as it will sear the steak perfectly so you get a crispy skin without it burning it.
Butter and olive oil burn really easy, which will smoke up your kitchen which can make a steak charred or smoky so you cannot taste any of the meat’s natural flavour.
Avocado oil has a more neutral taste, allowing the meat and seasoning to shine, and is more stable when cooking at a high heat so you can properly sear the steak.
If you want to use olive oil or butter, it is best to add them at the end of cooking a steak as a flavouring to enhance richness, but avocado oil is what you need for searing.
How to sear a steak with avocado oil
You will need:
- 454g ribeye steak (or any steak of your choice)
- Avocado oil
- Salt and pepper
Method:
To begin, place a iron pan in the oven and preheat to 260C. You want the pan to be extremely hot before you start cooking.
Prepare the stead by adding a generous amount of salt and pepper to both ride of the steak. Rub a little avocado oil over the salt and pepper until the entire steak is coated.
Once the oven is preheated and reaches 260C, carefully remove the pan and place it on the stove. However, do not turn the oven off just yet.
Place the pan on a high heat and add two tablespoons of avocado oil. Then, add your steak and sear for 60 seconds, and flip over and cook for another 60 seconds to make a crust.
When you are done searing, quickly put the pan in the oven once again for two minutes. If the steak is thicker than 25mm (one inch) then flip is over and then cook for two more minutes.
Remove from the oven and let it rest for three to four minutes. You need to rest steak to let the juices flow through the meat after cooking so it does not dry out when you cut into it.
Once it is done resting, you will have a beautifully cooked steak that will have a golden caramelised crust on the outside while still tender on the inside.